I Am Not Afraid To Lift

30 Things I Know To Be True, By Stacey Schaedler

Today’s guest post is from fellow Boston based coach, wife, mom, and all around badass Stacey Schaedler. She posted this on her Facebook timeline on Sunday, and I absolutely loved every single item on this list and therefore asked her if I could feature it as a guest post.

It’s short, sweet, and poignant. ENJOY!

30 Things I Know To Be True, By Stacey Schaedler

Practice Yoga. It’s good for you and for everyone around you.

Strength Train. Your body will thank you. (Preferably with a kettlebell: its an efficient, total body tool and can be done ANYWHERE.)

Happiness is a choice. Life is too short to be anything but HAPPY.

Meet yourself, LOVE yourself ==>then you will attract that.

LESS is MORE. (Especially when it comes to exercise and how much you tell someone the first time you meet them.)

If weight loss is your main goal, IT IS ALL ABOUT NUTRITION!

Go to bed early… wake up early. (Morning people are more successful and driven and in my experience more pleasant to be around.)

Dreams come true. Know what you want and stick to it. Have goals and follow through.

Seek PROGRESS not PERFECTION.

Don’t be so hard on yourself.

Surround yourself with people who believe you can succeed… perhaps more than you do 🙂

Cook your own food and learn to like doing it. Food is the medicine of the future. (Look into a farm share.)

Move your body and your heart will follow. (Favorite old school lululemon manifesto.)

Spend time outside everyday. Vitamin D, fresh air, and nature are all very calming.

It’s all about the GLUTES baby.

BE KIND

Make training for LONGEVITY your #1 priority. Whether you are training for weight loss, general strength gains or competitions, you don’t want to get hurt in the process!

The pain you feel in your body is most likely a result of MISALIGNMENT ELSEWHERE. Don’t shoot the messenger… find the source.

Online dating isn’t just for creeps. With the amount of hours people work these days, MATCH.com could actually be the way you meet “THE ONE.”

Appreciate your body everyday. No matter what shape, size, or strength. It houses your soul and does MUCH more than what it looks like on the outside. You are NOT your body.

GRATITUDE

Never stop learning. Consider it investing in yourself.

Lacrosse balls/ Foam Rollers are your best friend. OR they should be. Unless you can afford a weekly massage (then your therapist can be your bestie).

Learn what makes you feel good. Do those things daily. Learn what makes you feel bad. Eliminate those things from your daily life as much as possible. Many people have no idea how good they can actually feel or that a lot of it is well within their control.

No one is an expert at everything, but there are plenty of experts in each field. If you need help with something seek out a coach or a mentor. Don’t struggle unnecessarily. The fact of the matter is you will teach THEM something too… I guarantee it.

Learn from your pets. Not only has having a puppy taught me a lot about patience and love it has made me enjoy the little things more and has made me less self centered. I worry less about my appearance and more about his happiness. I watch him relax, enjoy sunshine as well as each and every complete stranger we encounter on our walks.

Consider renaming your workouts to “training sessions.” Training is just like practice, there is a plan involved and you are there to get better and better each time. After training you should be able about your day afterwards as opposed to laying on the floor seeing stars. It shouldn’t take everything in your power to finish the session each time, and it shouldn’t be this monotonous boring chore to complete everyday. Do something that makes you happy and makes your body feel good, and strive to do better each time!

Live within your means.

MAKE YOURSELF YOUR PRIORITY. Spend time and money NOW on healthy food and exercise. People are living way longer than they used to. You want to enjoy every moment of this life as opposed to taking pills, having surgeries and just being plain uncomfortable right?!

LIFE IS CRAZY AMAZING!!!! If you allow these lessons to sink in I believe that you too will THRIVE!

xoxo

Stacey

Stacey is an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer, holds her Russian Kettlebell Certification and is also a Registered Yoga Teacher through the National Yoga Alliance. Her focus is strength training with a strong emphasis on postural integrity and alignment. This, paired with solid nutritional education for her clients creates the foundation for their success. Not only do her clients learn to move properly, gain strength and eliminate pain, they learn to start listening to their bodies. As a result of her diverse fitness experience as a collegiate athlete, avid yogi and former professional figure competitor, Stacey is a wealth of knowledge for those looking to attain their ultimate fitness and nutrition goals. Aside from Turkish Get Ups and handstand walking, Stacey enjoys writing, stand-up paddleboarding, yoga, cooking, snowboarding, and eating plantains! She currently resides just North of Boston with husband Anthony, daughter Julia and pitbull Tater.